


Over and Under, But Never Through

by silveradept



Category: Chess Pieces (Anthropomorphic)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21788545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/pseuds/silveradept
Summary: Queen Beatrix knows what is best for her kingdom, but really wants to keep Corrine nearby as a companion and protector. Captain Corrine knows she can serve her queen much more effectively away from the palace. From these conflicting ideas, a stratagem develops and is put into place.
Relationships: Knight/Queen (Chess)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Over and Under, But Never Through

**Author's Note:**

  * For [storiesfortravellers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/gifts).



"And your fate is sealed, majesty," Corrine said, sliding the last piece into place.

Beatrix scowled and looked over the board before sighing. "You infuriate me, Captain," she said with a huff. "Every time, it seems like I have you following along with the plan, and then, right before the end, you step to the side and take another path."

"And this is why you trust me with your soldiers, majesty," Corrine said seriously. "Commanders without creativity often find themselves on the wrong end of the spear."

"It still aggravates me. I understand how all the other pieces of my realm move. Most of my people need only be given a direction, and they will handle the rest." Beatrix pointed a finger at Corrine. "You, however, never do anything straightforwardly."

Corrine had no response to this that she felt could be safely said. It was the standing prerogative of the Queen's Castle to act in ways beneficial to the realm and its rulers without having to obtain the assent of either monarch or administrator. Open contravention of orders given was still punishable, however, and Queen Beatrix had devised a particularly cruel method of disciplining those who openly contradicted her. Being named commander of a legion and posted at the border was widely seen as a death sentence, but it was preferable to the methods that left no option for forgiveness.

"Nothing to say, Corrine?" Beatrix smiled.

"No, majesty."

"You are allowed to be familiar with me, Corrine." Beatrix said, then smiled, "You _have_ been familiar with me before."

"I am always grateful for your invitation, majesty, but in the current climate, it seems unwise to be seen as someone whose power rests on the queen's whim."

"Oh, yes, _do_ tell me which of my nobles and clerics are plotting against me today, Corrine," Beatrix snarled.

Corrine's face, she hoped, betrayed nothing. "Majesty?" she asked, waiting for confirmation.

"No, Corrine, that's not an order." Beatrix sighed. "I realize it is part of the dance of politics, but there are times where I wish they could also see the larger picture and work for the good of the kingdom, instead of trying to enlarge their own holdings at the expense of others."

"If Your Majesty wishes, I am certain that His Majesty the King would welcome any excuse he could use to put more favorable people at the heads of our noble houses," Corrine said, smiling.

"Don't tempt me," Beatrix said. "I have no doubt you could arrange the Court of Nobles in whatever way I wished." Beatrix paused, considering what she had just said. "Why don't you?"

"Expedience, majesty," Corrine said. Today had apparently been chosen as the day to ask all the difficult questions in sequence, Corrine thought. "It is easier to plan when you have an understanding of how the pieces will move."

"Except that doesn't work for you," Beatrix snapped. "If I point a soldier at a wall, they'll try to knock the wall down. If they're a particularly smart soldier, they'll try to climb it first. If I point _you_ at a wall, you'll tunnel under the wall, discover that the king and queen of the country that built the wall are breath-suckers, cause an uprising, and then open the gates when the joyous population is still celebrating. At every step, you confound me."

"I serve at your pleasure, majesty. If you are unsatisfied—"

Beatrix cut Corrine off with a sharp laugh. "Corrine, I am _deeply_ satisfied with you. I endure the stares and the remarks and the whispers that never grow loud enough to hear clearly. I have championed you to all who can hear me. And still, I hear them talk to Theo about you." 

"Maj—" Beatrix glared at her, and the title died on Corrine's lips. 

"They call you everything but knight, commander, Captain, and they demand your replacement with one of their sons, as if anyone could do this job better than you. And I am torn," she said, throwing her arms around Corrine and pressing herself into her. Corrine stiffened, concerned about the possibilities of what Beatrix had just said. Before she could articulate any of them, Beatrix continued.

"I am torn, Corrine. I could make you captain of my palace guard, give you a place of high honor, spare you from intrigue and spite, invite you to stay with me, become familiar with you once again, and pass the time of my reign with you. Even though it would be a cage, I would be happy with you by my side." Beatrix's hug tightened. "But I cannot cage you so cruelly. Nor do I want to give satisfaction to the wagging tongues and the scheming nobles. Yet, when you leave, you take my heart with you, and I will curse you forever if you do not bring it back to me."

Corrine thought, cursing herself for not noticing the degree of Beatrix's affections before now. She had heard some tongues wagging about her visits to Beatrix's chambers, but she was the Captain of the Queen's Castle, and she had never done anything to warrant speculation about her intentions. Even the castle servants' gossip had been focused on the strategy being discussed in Beatrix's chambers, without mention of any romantic overture or quality.

A possible reason for the rumors floated to the top of her consciousness. Corrine frowned as she worked through the implications. 

"Do you want my counsel on this?" she asked, gently disentangling them.

"Only if you can give it to a friend, Corrine."

"It will be very different counsel coming from Corrine to Beatrix than from the Captain of the Queen's Castle to Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix IV."

Beatrix pulled away from Corrine sharply and studied her face. "I have a feeling you are about to tunnel under the wall again, Captain," she said, narrowing her eyes. "First, however, I would have my friend Corrine's counsel."

"Think about what would make you happy, what would make me happy, and make the decision based on whose happiness you value more, Beatrix," Corrine said.

Beatrix scowled. "That is terrible counsel. What would my Captain say?"

"Demote me, majesty," Corrine said. "Make me a knight again, and take some third son of a minor noble who will be grateful for the pension and promote him to Captain of the Queen's Castle. I will continue my work as his second and see if he is someone who can fulfill our duties and act with discretion. If he cannot, he will draw his pension and we will continue to let him believe he is in charge."

"And the nobles will have someone to complain to and believe they can manipulate into doing their bidding," Beatrix finished. "It is a clever plan, Captain, but it still contains a flaw: it takes you from me more often than I desire."

"I cannot avoid that, majesty, but if you are to be able to do the things that His Majesty the King cannot, the Queen's Castle must put themselves where the danger is."

"There is more than sufficient danger here for anyone," Beatrix said. "Why must you court it in far-off places?"

"Because my Queen wants to get beyond the wall," Corrine said.

Beatrix fumed for a moment, then grabbed the board and began setting the pieces back up again. "When I beat you," she growled, "I will make you the prettiest, most ornamental palace guardswoman my gold can afford, and I will lavish you with wealth and ease until you grow soft."

"When I am ready for that, majesty, I will accept it with all my heart. Until then, I will continue to frustrate you."

"We'll see about that," Beatrix said, and made the first move.


End file.
